Rail-joint.



I. H. SALE. RAIL JOINT. APPLI OATION FILED NOV. 18, 1910.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

JOHN HARVEY SALE, OF ROSELAND, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-SIXTH TO W. M.JONES, ONE-SIXTH TO M. E. GAR-RISON, ONE-SIXTH TO ROBERT BENNETT, ANDONE- SIXTI-I TO J. W. WILKINSON, ALL OF DENHAM SPRINGS, LOUISIANA, ANDONE- SIXTH TO M. BENEDICT, OF PINE'VILLE, LOUISIANA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed November 18, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. SALE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roseland, in the parish of Tangipahoa and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints and isparticularly designed to provide a joint which will rigidly holdtogether the ends of adjoining rails without the necessary employment offish plates, bolts, and other fastening means.

While the invention is not restricted to the exact details shown anddescribed, still for the purpose of disclosure, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings illustrating a practical and preferred embodimentof the invention, and the particular features of novelty will be moresuccinctly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate thesame parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation looking toward the inside of a pair of adjoining railsinterlocked by my improved joint; Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly inlongitudinal section below the head of the rail, along the line 22 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking toward the inside end ofthe male member of the joint; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the femalemember of the joint; Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking toward theinside end of the female member; Fig. 6 is a View in elevation lookingtoward the outside face of the male member of the joint with the treadand base flange of the rail omitted; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofa key or looking staple.

1 designates a rail provided at one end with the male member of thejoint hereinafter described. and cooperating with the opposite end of arail 2 provided with the female member of the joint.

Referring to the male member more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, therail end is recessed or cut away forming the rectangular or square neck3 having the upper and Patented Aug. 29, 1911. Serial No. 593,057.

lower recesses 4 and 5, and an abutting tongue portion 6, disposedvertically and on the outside of the vertical web of the rail. 7 is ahorizontal projection provided on its sides with ribs 8 and terminatingin a lock ing head 9 having horizontal projecting lugs 10 disposed inline with said ribs 8, the head 9 being separated from the projection 7by a neck portion 11 forming locking recesses 12 to receive a lockingstaple 13 (Fig. 7).

The female member of the joint more clearly shown in Fig. 4, consists ofa reinforcing block 15 terminating at its upper edge 16 below the treadof the rail. This reinforcing member 15 is recessed vertically as at 17and has a rectangular aperture 18 cut therethrough with horizontalgrooves 19 at each side thereof and a guiding lug 20 at the bottomthereof, the outer face of the guiding lug lying substantially inalinement with the reinforcing plate 15, and forming with the side wallsof the recess 17 additional recesses 21 to receive the locking staple.

In joining rail ends it will be obvious from the foregoing that the malemember is forced inwardly laterally of the female member of the joint,the inner face of the vertical extension 6 resting against the verticalweb of the rail 14, and the horizontal extension 7 passing through therectangular opening 18, the ribs 8 fitting in the grooves 19. In thisposition the head 9 and neck 7 are disposed-above the lug 20 and thelegs 13' of the locking key 18 are passed between the inside face 17 ofthe recess 17 and on each side of the neck 7, lying in the recess 12 andholding the joint firmly locked together.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the outside faces of the ends of therails may be reinforced by lateral extensions making the vertical web ofeach rail a little thicker at the position of joinder with its adjacentrail. For instance, the end of the rail 2 is provided with laterallyprojecting lugs 1 1 and 14 formed integrally with the vertical web, thespace 14 formed between the portions 1 1 and 14 comprising a recessadapted to receive the neck 3 of the male member, the portions 1 1seating in the recess 4 and the portion 14 seating in the recess 5 ofthe male member. It will also be noted that the web adjacent the malemember of thejoint is thickened, the neck 3 and the vertical tongue 6being formed from said thickened portion, and the projection t being anintegral part of the vertical web, the tread and the base flange of therail.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A male member of a rail joint located at one end of a rail andcomprising an enlarged portion formed on the outside of the vertical webof the rail and cut away to .form a vertical tongue extending the depthof said web and a restricted neck forming an upper and a lower recessbetween said tongue and the end of the rail, in combination with afemale member comprising an upper and a lower lug extending laterallyfrom the outside face of the web of the rail and spaced apart to form arecess to receive the restricted neck of said male member, with saidupper and lower lugs seating in said upper and lower recesses, the wholeforming an interlock against vertical displacement, and means lockingthe ends of said rails against lateral displacement, sub stantially asdescribed.

2. A male member .of a rail joint located at one end of a rail incombination with a female member formed on the abutting end of a secondrail cooperating together to form an interlock against verticaldisplacement, and means for locking the joined ends of the rails againstlateral displacement comprising a longitudinal projecting rein:forcement carried at the inside of the female member of said joint andhaving a horizontal aperture therethrough, a horizontal projectioncarried at the inside of the male member of said joint and projectingthrough said horizontal aperture, and a key for locking said horizontalprojection and said longitudinal reinforcing projection, substantiallyas described.

3. A male member of a rail joint located at one end of a rail incombination with a female member formed on the abutting end of a secondrail cooperating together to form an interlock against verticaldisplacement, and means for locking the joined ends of the rails againstlateral displacement comprising a longitudinal projecting reinforcementon the female member of said joint, said reinforcing projection beingprovided Witha vertical recess and a horizontal aperture, and said malemember end of the rail being progided with a horizontal projectionhaving a pair of vertical recesses forming a restricted neck and a headportion adapted to be passed through said horizontal aperture and seatedwithin said vertical recess of said reinforcing member, and alocking-staple operating in said vertical recess of the reinforcingmember and having its legs arranged in the said vertical recesses ofsaid horizontal projection, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN HARVEY SALE- VVitnesses lV. B. J ONES, L. M. BENNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

